The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-01-07
LUCK IN THE DARK.
Befriended BY an EIephant-A Tramp
Realizes n Good Chance of n Living.

Befriended BY an EIephant-A Tramp
Realizes a Good Chance of n Living.
I'm a tramp. Whether 1 was driven
to the road by hard luck or a desire
TO lead an easy life is none o your
business. I'm no better or worse Than
theavernge.
Some men, with my advantages,
would have been in Congress to-day.
Some others, with my temptations
would have been in State Prison long
ago
II the world owes me anything Til
forgive the debt. II l owe the world
anything she'll have to dust around
lively to collect the debt.
year or two ago, while l Was
tramping in Indiana, l struck a streak
OF hard luck. 1t had come on winter.
and my toes we're out, my pockets ditto,
and I was dressed in Summer
clothing.
I tramped fourteen miles along
thickly-settled highway one day and
failed to turn up even a slice OF bread.
On the other hand, l was bitten three
times by dogs, and several farmers
threatened to shoot me.
When night fell l was half-frozen
and the other half starved. 1t was
no use To apply to house for lOdg-
in@s and | got my eye on a strawstack
and slowed myself away.
Now, then, there's nothing mean
about a straw-Stactl, but il doesn't
begin with a fTet-ciaeS hotel for com
fort. You may work into a stack your
whole length and chink up the hole
behind you and you'll lind it cold.
The air seems To Sift in from all
directions, and you fall asleep to dream
of floating over a cold sea OF an ice
berg. The weather was about zero
and by midnight l found that /
= =,
death.
There was a barn about forty rods
away, and l crawled out and took a run.
One of the small doors was unlocked,
and I Crept in to find the place a
thousand times more comfortable than
the stack.
1t was dark as a pocket in there. and
/ had no matches to strike light.
began feeling my way across the iiOOT
hoping to strike some bags or blankets
Tor cover, when suddenly something soft
and warm touched my arm -yided
around my waist and ] WAS lifted Oft my
feet.
Did yell? No, sir 1 was too fright
ened TO open my potatO-trap. dropped
my arms, and my hands came in contact
with-what do you think?
An elephant had his trunk around me.
He pulled nae gently up to him, and then
felt me over with his trunk. as il
to see what manner OF man ] was.
A. ne offered no violence to mo my
nerve came back pretty soon. and /
pattcd him on the head and called
him pet names. He had a big stall
To himself, and as soon as | could
give him the slip l began TO back
OF
But he wouldn't have it that way.
He reached out, took hold under my
arms, and swung nc around into his
mangcr packed with hay, and Tn
blessed if the keeper didn't find
me there and fast asleep in the
morning.
1 was pretty well satisfied that the
beast had no intentions of making
my tramp existence any worse than
1t was, and as soon as l got warm !
went to sleep.
What aroused me in the morning was
that Gle. Iant tTuUpC.i1g away in high
dudgeOn, and I turned out to find that
she wouldn't let hnr keeper. come with
in ten feet Of her He ,coaxed and
scOldcd, but she was firm.
While she would trumpet at him
she would caress me, and IL was from
my hands that she got her breakfast.
You see, she was q circus elephant in
winter quarters, and there were a good
many other animals in and about the
barn.
The long and short Of 1t was.
was hired to take care of '' Empress
through the Winter and l should have
gone on the road with her in the Spring
but for my own stupidity.
One day got drunk and stirred up q
Hon with a pitehfork. He struck me
through the bars Of the cage, raking my
left arm from shoulder to wrist, and
the doctors had to amputate it to save
my life.
That's all gents. and if you have an
old coat, pair of boots, or anything
else to help "a tramp trim up for the
coming Spring campaign l shall be for
ever grateful Detroit Free Press.